While two women slept in each others arms, sharing a memory through their dreams, two figures made their way towards the castle. The moonlight shone down on the forest, casting a dim glow in the night. Tops of trees reached over like canopies, grasping each other and protecting the forest's inhabitants like mother hens, giving hiding places to both the large and small animals. Birds called lonely songs, echoing each other, finding comfort in numbers. The restlessness of the forest was called out by the animals in the place that was never truly sleeping.
Astron and Pura tread through the forest, the dark of night cloaking their movements; Astron's shoulders slumped with exhaustion, her footsteps heavy. She didn't know how long she had been walking; they had only stopped to rest a few times, stopping only once for sleep. There was an urgency deep inside her, pushing her limits; she knew there was something happening, something big, and someone out there needed her help. The one time she had slept on this journey, a woman had come to her in her dreams, speaking of her daughter, a sad gleam in her eyes. The woman said her daughter had never known a true friend, who would need Astron to stand as that friend now in her biggest time of need. The tear that slipped down the blonde woman's beautiful face spurred Astron into wakefulness and urged her to forget the cold, forget her aching body, to keep moving, pushing her to trek though the forest with fervor. Through all of this, Pura padded along silently, feeling her friend's need to keep moving.
You need to rest, Pura said finally.
"I'll rest when I-" Astron's statement was cut off by her cry of pain. She fell to her knees, hands clutched at her chest.
Astron! Pura called out. She rushed to her friend's side, nudging her with her nose.
"We're close," Astron gasped out.
Your walls, put back up your walls!
"There's so much pain, Pura. Grief like no other," Astron cried, tears streaming from her eyes. "But something else is there, something warm."
Pura shook her great head, Build them back up, Astron. Focus. She looked closely at her friend. Would she be able to feel what came from her own familiar's heart? Pura shook her head again. There was too much bombarding Astron in her moment of exhaustion for her to look too closely at the friend she thought she knew everything about.
Astron closed her eyes tight, imagining building a wall, stone by stone, the feelings receding with each stone.
You must sleep, Pura told her. You can't keep up your walls if you're this tired.
Astron nodded, laying down. Pura lay by her head, letting Astron cuddle her head into her side.
Sleep, my love, Pura thought, laying a tiger's kiss upon the sleeping figures head, her yellow cat eyes shifting into human eyes, large, chocolate-brown, doe eyes. Her heart ached for the woman with so much on her shoulders. Astron had left home at a young age, determined to change her circumstances, determined not to be the weak woman her parents wanted her to be. On her own, Astron had become the woman that the young girl had dreamed about, a strong woman who could defend herself, whether it be with magic or with her own skills as a fighter. Yet, in her ferocity to become trained, Astron had forgotten to let herself love. The dark-haired woman didn't let very many people in, trusted few with her emotions.
Pura understood, she had watched from afar long enough to know how Astron was. When she had first come to Astron, she had been afraid. Shape-shifters from her tribe did not show themselves to magic-users, and they only showed their true selves once they had found their mate. The tiger looked down at Astron, knowing something had to happen soon. She wanted Astron to know what she really looked like, she wanted to walk on two feet again.
The tiger let herself calm, taking in her surroundings. The trees were thinner then they had been, the undergrowth not as thick. Astron had been right, they were getting close. Close to where, Pura did not know. When her friend woke, she would scout ahead to see what they were walking into. She shifted her great body slightly, curling to wrap protectively around her love before drifting off into sleep.
Astron lifted her head as the breathing of the cat underneath her head calmed. My love? she thought. Had she dreamed it, or had Pura really said that? She noticed the way the tiger had curled around her protectively and felt her heart rate increase. Was it possible that Pura loved her? Astron knew she had feelings for her friend, something she thought would never be returned. A human and a tiger…how did that even work? She shook her head and chuckled, Does it matter? I love her.
Astron's face broke into a wide grin as she admitted out loud what she had just barely allowed herself to see, "I love her."
She rested her head, once again, on the cat's side, falling into a more peaceful sleep now that she had admitted to herself something she had been fighting for so long.
Tara woke from the memory-dream with a gasp of pain. Sometime during the night, Willow had wrapped her leg around Tara's broken one. The redhead's leg wrapped around the splint tightly. Willow moaned in her sleep, her leg clenching tighter; he blonde bit back another gasp at the pain that ran like fire through her leg. Turning her head, she saw Willow's furrowed brow. Something was now happening in Willow's dream that she didn't like and it was clearly upsetting the redhead. Tara ran a soothing hand along the red silk of Willow's hair. She forgot about the pain in her leg as green eyes blinked open, staring owlishly at her with sleepy eyes.
"You left me," Willow said slowly.
"I'm right here," Tara answered. "I just woke up, that's all."
Blinking the sleep from her eyes, Willow stretched, freezing when Tara gasped again in pain. "I'm sorry," Willow cried out, carefully unwrapping her leg.
"It's okay darling," Tara said, trying to comfort the upset redhead. "Will you meditate with me? It gets better when we meditate."
"Of course," Willow said, sitting up eagerly and situating herself for meditation. Tara sat up and fluffed some pillows behind her back. If this went right, she could heal herself completely. Taking a deep breath, she took Willow's hands and both women allowed their magic to flow. After their magic had joined and recycled through each other a few times, gathering strength, the witches pushed their power into the earth, pulling new power back to join with their now-fresh magic. They did this recycling for at least an hour, calming themselves.
The peaceful repetition was a welcome change from the events of the night before. While the dream still lingered in the back of their minds, now they only focused on the feelings they had for each other, focused only on joining their power with the earth.
"Ready?" Tara sighed out.
"Yes. Focus on your leg. Push the power there, we can do this," Willow replied.
The witches felt their love for each other bloom within themselves, focusing their joined power on Tara's broken leg. Tara breathed a sigh of wonder when she felt Willow's love focus in her leg. She felt like she was glowing from within, but a slight opening of her eyes revealed that she was not glowing and neither was Willow. The blonde gave a small smile and refocused herself. There was a pinch in her leg as the bone started knitting itself back together, the love inside them blocking out the pain it would have caused. Warmth flooded through her as the flesh around the bone healed, leaving no inflammation.
Opening her eyes in wonder, she saw Willow staring back at her, wide grin and sweaty forehead matching her own. There was a silent communication and they closed their eyes once again, giving the earth back its power, once again recycling their own, calming themselves as they reached out to touch the life in the surrounding area. The forest was busy with life, making the women realize that by this time, it was mid-day. They had been meditating for hours. Tara felt Willow pull from the meditation, and almost pulled away herself when she felt a life-force enter her "field of vision". A large animal, yet not an animal, with a beautiful aura, running at full speed. Tara smiled, then her brow furrowed in confusion as another force entered, a human, both forces headed towards the castle. Yet the human wasn't hunting the animal. Tara pulled out of the meditation and turned to Willow, "We have company."
"Is he back?" Willow said angrily.
"No. Someone else, or …some thing…I don't understand," Tara answered. "It's moving towards the castle, should be within sight by now." She tested her leg and found it fully healed, so she took off the splint and stood up carefully. Tara grinned back at Willow, "I can walk now." They quickly changed clothes and washed from the basin of hot water that Buffy must have left during their meditation.
"Well, let's go see," Willow quipped, taking Tara's hand and walking with her from the room. When Willow went to throw open the door, Tara caught her hand.
"Carefully," Tara warned. "We don't know if its friend or foe."
Willow nodded and slowly opened the door, stepping outside quietly, Tara beside her. They scanned the forest's edge, waiting. Willow jumped back when a great white tiger stepped from the line of trees, walking slowly towards the gates. The animal was larger than any "cat" either of the women had ever seen. It walked to the edge of the gates, standing just outside of the open area as if waiting for permission to enter.
"Whoa," Willow said. "He's a big kitty."
"I think he is a she," Tara said, craning her neck for a better view.
"Well. Hello, Ms. Kitty," Willow called out to the animal. The redhead turned to Tara, "Wonder what she wants. Should we go…um…say hi?"
"How do we say hi to a tiger?" Tara asked incredulously.
"Hi," Willow demonstrated, waving her arm. Tara laughed.
"You aren't worried she'll eat us?"
Willow looked back over to the tiger, who was watching the exchange quietly. "Don't you think if she wanted to attack she would've by now?"
"I suppose," Tara said uneasily, then laughed as they started walking towards the big cat slowly, showing they meant no harm. "You're afraid of horses…yet this big tiger with huge teeth doesn't scare you. You're an enigma."
"Sometimes, even I cannot explain the way my mind works," Willow replied, shaking her head. As they neared the animal, Willow grasped Tara's hand tighter and called out, "We aren't going to hurt you."
"I'm more worried about her hurting us Willow," Tara said. As she said it, the tiger, crossed over the "threshold" of the gates and laid down.
"Maybe that's her way of saying she won't hurt us either," Willow said. She looked back at the cat, "Is there something you want from us?"
In reply, the cat turned its head back towards the forest. The witches followed its gaze to see a woman walk confidently out of the woods. They watched warily as she walked close then stopped by the cat.
"Hello," she said. "I'm Astron. This here is my friend Pura. We're here to help."
"Help? With what?" Tara asked.
Astron shrugged, "Dunno. Just know you ladies are going to need help. Something's coming. Something big."
Willow nodded, "I'm Willow. I own this castle. You are welcome." She turned towards Tara, waiting.
"I'm T-tara, W-willow's p-p-partner," Tara said, silently cursing herself for her stutter. She was taught never to introduce herself, to just stay in the background and out of the way. So many things are changing, she thought.
Astron smiled softly at Tara, "Well, thank you for the welcome." She looked up at the castle. "Big place for just you guys. Any chance I can get a bath?"
Tara laughed, grateful that the new woman didn't comment on her stutter, "We'll g-get you a bath. H-how did you m-meet Pura?"
Willow watched Tara walk away with the new woman as they began talking, trusting Tara to get the woman accommodated. The redhead looked down at the cat who still hadn't moved, "Now what do I do with you?"
Nothing, Willow heard in her head.
"Well, you're much more than you seem aren't you?"
As are you, Pura replied, standing up and walking with Willow back to the castle. Willow kept glancing back at the cat, curiously. Finally, Pura said, What is it?
"Um, can I pet you, or is that like, an insult? Cause you know, I don't want to be all insult-y gal. Definitely not. Cause you're like all big and pretty and kinda scary and I really don't want to insult you. Not that I think you would hurt me, because I get this feeling you wouldn't. You sure seem like a nice cat, but I mean, you're like my guest and insulting guests is rude, and oh, will someone please shut me up?"
Pura chuckled, feeling a new liking for this woman in her chest. The redhead sure was strange. How do you say all that without breathing?
"It's a talent, a well exercised talent," Willow dead panned.
You can, what did you call it? Pet me, if you like, Pura said, pushing her head into Willow's hand.
"Soft, I like soft," Willow said in wonder. "I'm petting a tiger! Hey Tara," she called out, "I'm petting a tiger!"
The new guests burst into laughter and soon the two witches joined them.
Many miles away, a woman walked through her destroyed home. She had returned from her training to find her small village destroyed. Bodies were being gathered by the few survivors, placed into the charnel house until they could be buried.
"What happened here?" She demanded of a survivor.
"A group came, branding weapons, talking of cleaning the earth of witches, they…they killed almost everyone. Kelly, when did you-"
"That is no longer my name," she answered, looking back at the charnel house that held her family. She turned away from the woman to the open door, staring down at the corpses. "I am Charna. I will seek vengeance for this." She looked down at the body of her younger sister, "You will be avenged, I promise this, sister."
"Charna is for death," the survivor told her.
"Exactly," she answered, a fire blazing in her eyes. Suddenly, there was a strong wind, blowing Charna's short black hair around her face. "Tell me, who did this."
"We do not know his name, the leader, but there was talk of a battle. They are gathering forces to fight the witches."
"Who is on the other side of this battle?" Charna demanded.
The small man was about the answer but was interrupted by an old woman who came to Charna's side.
"I have been waiting for you," the old woman said, her voice full of wisdom.
"Seer," Charna acknowledged.
"You must go to Rosenberg castle. They are preparing for battle as well. Gather as many witches as you can along the way. This goes deeper than a group of scared little boys, there's evil out there that seek to aid him."
"Him?" Charna asked.
"The man who leads the group, Donald Maclay. He has no idea what he has started."
"Donald Maclay," Charna repeated. She nodded sharply, gave her thanks, and prepared a horse for her travel.
Just as she was about to climb up, a hand landed on her shoulder. Turning to look, she saw a tall woman with short, curly red hair, grey eyes staring into hers with anger. "River, what-"
"Take me with you," River answered.
Charna was about to argue when she remembered what the seer had said. She looked carefully at the woman, "Are you sure you're ready?"
"Oh, I am ready," she said, lifting a vial of water from around her neck. "I've been practicing while you were away. I can help," River insisted, pulling a card from her pocket.
Charna glanced down at the card, "This came up in your reading?"
"Yes," River answered.
"You still carry your deck with you everywhere?"
River grinned, "Sure do!"
Charna sighed, "Get ready then, we leave in an hour."
River nodded and tucked the card back into her pocket, rushing away to prepare herself. Things were changing, the cards told her. Her life was taking a turn. The card that she took from her pocket told her she was ready. The Chariot.